Academy Spotlight: Harry Taylor

After producing a star performance in his first Reserves outing last weekend, outside back Harry Taylor is hopeful that his time on the sideline is behind him and that he can push on with both the Leeds Rhinos Under-18s Academy and Reserves teams for the remainder of the 2024 season.

Last season saw Taylor score four times in eight appearances during his debut Under-18s campaign, having been promoted from the Scholarship, but after starting this season with try-scoring performances in a friendly against Bradford and the season opener against St Helens, he found himself sidelined out of the team. "The last four weeks, I've been training as hard as I can," he said. "Obviously I missed a game because I was taken out but I've been training as hard as I can to get back in. I was excited to be back in the squad and playing again."

"I want to get a string of games and good performances, keep consistent and stay switched on. I'm just thinking of next game and taking each one as it comes, plus there's still plenty of this season ahead."

Taylor came back into the Under-18s side for their inspired win over Hull FC a fortnight ago, and with an opportunity to go again on Thursday night against Wakefield, the former Guiseley Rangers product said that the young Rhinos are fired up more than ever to continue their positive momentum.

"I thought it was a good team performance, especially with us going down to 11 men at half time," he reflected. "It was a hard game and Hull were good. I think the team as a whole played well and everyone dug in so it was good to get the win. It was a really physical game, especially with it being played on an astro field as well. When you're hitting the floor, the collisions are bigger but I thought both teams were really physical.

"We just stayed in the grind a bit longer and brought it to them more. I feel like we wanted to win more and that's why we got the result in the end."

Getting a run out for the Reserves added more eyes on Taylor's performance beside his head coach Tony Smith. First team boss Rohan Smith has kept an eye on the Reserves grade this season and given Ned McCormack and Riley Lumb their Super League debuts off the back of progression through the club's Academy. Alfie Edgell, Jack Sinfield, Tom Nicholson-Watton and Leon Ruan have also benefitted from game time in the competition, which Taylor says gives the younger players further down the development ladder plenty of confidence.

"Tony keeps saying to us that we should be inspired seeing the other young lads getting opportunities with the first team," he said. "It shows that there are opportunities for you and you've just got to play well and rip in. Ned McCormack plays my position and was reall good in the Academy last year with me. It's good to play with players like that as it gives you a benchmark of where you need to be. I feel like playing with better players in each game, like last week in the Reserves, is only going to help me get better myself.  I know it's been a tough start to the academy season but we've got our first win of the round about to get us full."

Thursday's game against Trinity gives Taylor a chance to go again as the centre looks at the bigger picture of the season ahead, rather than looking back at the opening four games. Although it was a tough start to the campaign, he emphasised the quality of players in the Under-18s, especially among some of its youngest players.

"It's a big step up from the scholarship to the academy but I think with the squad being young, everyone's getting used to it," he said. "There's some great talent in our squad and we've got some of the best youngsters there is in the competition. They understand the game themselves and they'll just get better and better.  

"I think we can go really far this year. I know we had a bit of a bad start this season but we seem to have clicked and that's shown in our performance against Hull. I think we can get a good winning streak together and start turning teams over because we have now got the foundation to go on and do that."